Ice Breaker
by Lord Kieran
Summary: ChallengeFic. The Order is desperate for information from Lucius Malfoy. Bill Weasley volunteers to acquire it. But what does Malfoy want in return? M/M


**Title: **Ice Breaker

**Warning:** Slash. Minor torture. Probably OOC as well. Definitely in some Harry Potter AU. lol

**Challenge: **Issued by wujy: You've got the "Fortune and Glory" pairing, Lucius Malfoy/Bill Weasley.

Quotes:

"Forgiveness is one of the many horrible side effects of loving someone." (Didn't use this one at least not yet….)

"Some things you do because you want to. Some things you do because of the needs of others in your family."

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

"It must be done." There was a dreadful finality in the tone that made the shoulders of everyone present slump in weary defeat. The perpetual gloom of the house lent an air of morbid inevitability to the situation. No one wanted to speak after such a bald, true statement. No one wanted to volunteer to take up the task that needed to be done.

"I'll do it." Everyone turned to stare at the man who spoke, shock and disbelief written across most of the faces. Bill Weasley ignored them all and instead nodded purposefully at Snape, the one who had delivered that first dreadful proclamation.

"No! I refuse to allow it!" Molly Weasley announced, her face turning red with angry indignation. "I will not have one of my boys doing something so horrible."

"Mum." Bill sighed loudly. He tried to appear casual as he leaned against the wall behind him but he could feel his body tense. "Snape is right. It has to be done."

"But why you?" Molly protested, her eyes tearing up. That might have worked years ago when Bill was young and not as world-weary, but he had seen and done many things since that time. Things that he wasn't proud of and would most certainly never admit to but the experience he had gained allowed him to look at the situation with an objectiveness that his mother clearly did not share.

"I volunteered. I am not afraid of doing what needs to be done." Bill stated firmly. He grinned suddenly although there was little happiness in the gesture. "Besides. Most of the Order will be busy over the next few days and I have a feeling this will take some time to do. It would be best if only one person had to handle it."

"For once I agree with Mr. Weasley." Snape sneered as he said it as though the idea of agreeing with a Weasley was enough to cause his stomach to turn.

"You could do it, Severus." Molly insisted suddenly, her ire turned from her eldest son to the greasy potions master in an instant. "It's not like you don't have the experience."

More than one person in the room shifted uncomfortably at the woman's words but no one made a move to contradict her. It was true after all and there wasn't an ounce of goodwill lost between Snape and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Bill wondered if he was the only one who noticed the lines around Snape's mouth tightening. He felt a moment's pity for the dour man.

"Be that as it may, I am unfortunately unable to lend my assistance to this situation. For reasons you know very well." Snape replied quietly.

"Oh tosh." Molly scoffed. "What's at stake here is more important than that."

"And how, pray tell, do you expect me to continue to gather important information on the Dark Lords movements when it is found out that I am a spy?" Snape inquired darkly, his eyes flashing with barely repressed rage. If there wasn't an air of helplessness buried deep within the man's eyes, Bill would have thought Snape unmoved by their present predicament. But he saw the same helplessness and fear lurking in the potion masters eyes that had been present in every member of the Order since the terrible news had reached them. It soothed his mind and firmed his resolve.

"This is pointless." Bill stated softly when it became apparent that none of the other members present would interfere. Even Professor McGonagall, who had tried valiantly to fill the role of leader left by Albus Dumbledore, looked worn and tired. "I said that I would do it and I meant it. End of discussion. The more time we waste arguing…" He let the end of his sentence trail off meaningfully and watched with dark satisfaction as his mother paled at the implication. Bill hated doing that to her but they were wasting precious time.

"Come then." Snape barked harshly after a long silence had filled the room. He stalked past Bill, his black robes billowing ominously around him. Before his mother could offer another protest, Bill followed after Snape, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. His long steps brought him quickly abreast with the potions master and Bill allowed a moments amusement that he was taller than the once hated and feared Head of Slytherin. Not by much but it made him feel a little less like he was heading to another detention with the sour man. He tried not to think of why he was currently following Snape. He was afraid if he did he would lose his determination and there was so much riding on his success.

"You understand that he will not break easily." Snape murmured softly, not turning to look at Bill as he spoke. "He is a master at lies and manipulation. He will use any weakness he perceives to bend you to his will. Remember that he is a Slytherin, sly and cunning. Use his family against him if you can. They are possibly his only weakness."

Bill listened carefully to Snape's words, trying to meld them into his brain. He would not fail. He nodded after the man finished speaking. "He may be a Slytherin but I am a Gryffindor. I will not fail. And I have dealt with Goblins who can be far slipperier than any witch or wizard."

A sneer was his only reply but Bill hadn't expected much else. He suspected if the man had truly thought him incapable of getting the information they sought, he would have refused Bill's offer of interrogation. As it stood, he took it as a compliment that Snape hadn't dismissed his words.

When they reached the base of the stairs that led up to the attic, Snape paused. He turned his black beady eyes on Bill and stared at him intently. Whatever he saw seemed to satisfy the man as he nodded curtly to Bill, handing him a wand. Bill knew instantly whose it was and he raised a brow in question. Snape merely scowled before stalking back the way they had come leaving the young curse breaker alone with his monumental task.

Closing his eyes briefly, Bill took a long, deep breath. He cleared his mind of all thoughts save his objective. When he felt he was as ready as he ever would be, he tucked the wand into his robes and walked up the narrow stairs. A dark, ominous door waited at the top.

Quietly, he whispered the counter to the locking spell that had been placed on the door. It held in place long enough for Bill to wonder if he had the right spell before it faded into nonexistence. Placing a clammy hand on the rusted doorknob, Bill stared at the back of his hand for a long moment. Did he always have so many freckles where his wrist joined with his arm? And where had that small black mole come from? A wry grin twisted his lips and he was glad his family was nowhere near him at the moment. Bad enough what he was about to do but to be caught staring at the back of his hand like some lack-wit…

Wiping all emotions from his face, Bill turned the knob and pushed open the door. It creaked a lot less then he had thought it would but the noise was still obscenely loud. It drew the immediate attention of the sole occupant of the attic. Icy blue eyes stared at Bill from beneath a shield of long, platinum blonde hair.

"Weasley." The man acknowledged, his voice emotionless, giving away nothing of his inner thoughts. Bill decided to ignore him for the moment as he stepped into the attic and closed the door firmly behind him.

Looking around, he was pleased that the attic had been completely cleared of all the miscellaneous relics that had been stored there by generations of Blacks. Now the room was empty save mountains of dust that coated nearly every surface. The man was sitting in the middle of the room chained to a chair. Satisfied that there would be nothing to distract him, Bill turned to the prisoner.

"Lucius Malfoy, I'm sure you are aware of why I'm here." Bill stated clearly, stepping directly in front of the man so that the arrogant pureblood had to tilt his head back to meet his eyes. It was almost gratifying in a way.

"Your Order has grown absurdly pathetic if they think sending a Weasley to interrogate me will result in anything but your own humiliation." Malfoy sneered.

Nodding his head as though he had been expecting that response-and certainly with a Malfoy what else could one expect-Bill smiled. "I think you will find that I am adequately suited to the task."

"Oh?" The man looked intrigued for a brief second before the casual disdain returned to his face. "You are poor in every other aspect. Why would this be any different?"

Bill tried not to let the remark hurt, and truly he was mostly unaffected. But he remembered a time when he had longed for things his parents had no means to give him. He remembered how after every subsequent sibling was born he received less and less from his parents. Although he would do anything for any of his siblings and he loved them all dearly-even Percy-he could not help the tiny spark of resentment that lingered in his heart. And he knew he could never allow Lucius Malfoy to sense such a weakness. The man would jump on it faster than a Death Eater went after Muggles.

So he forced himself to remain calm and almost impassive at the hurtful words. He let a sardonic smile curve his lips as he stared at Malfoy. "You may believe whatever it is that you wish. We shall see soon enough."

"Get on with it then, Weasley, if you think you have the stomach for it." Malfoy smirked. "I have felt the Dark Lord's wrath. Anything you could do pales in insignificance."

Bill lifted his wand and pointed it straight at Malfoy. "I will give you one chance before I begin to tell me what I want to know. Where are Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

A sinister smile appeared on the older man's face. "Do you really think I'll tell you?"

"No." Bill tightened his grip on his wand. "But that is the difference between us. _Ruptispecktis!"_ The spell hit Malfoy dead on and the man's eyes immediately began to water as the pain from the curse assaulted them. It was a testament to how many times the man must have endured curses at the hand of Voldemort when he did not cry out. The pain was excruciating as Bill knew from personal experience. It felt as though your own eyes were trying to crawl out of your head. He sustained the curse for a good minute before he ended it. The only indication that he had affected Malfoy at all was the slight quickening in his breathing.

Not wanting to give the man time to recover, Bill cast the spell once more. This time Malfoy at least shuddered when the spell took effect. Grimacing at what he was doing-but understanding why it had to be done-Bill raised his wand again to cast another spell on top of the one already affecting the man. "_Crucio_."

It gave Bill a grim sort of satisfaction when Malfoy gasped at the added pain. While Bill was completely aware that his spells had nowhere near the destructive power of Voldemort, he was sure it surprised Malfoy that he had been able to cast them at all. And the pain was not insignificant. The man might be one of Voldemort's top Death Eaters but he was still human. He could still feel pain.

Bill released the unforgivable before he allowed the first curse to fade away. The older man was panting harshly for breath and he had slumped over in the chair, his bindings permitting him to go no further. He had been tied to the chair with ordinary rope and Bill wondered for a moment if the man found that insulting, to bound by non-magical means.

"So," Malfoy drawled, the affect partially ruined by the hoarseness of his voice, "you have the stomach for torture after all."

"Where are they Malfoy?" Bill demanded. He tried to keep himself calm but he could feel the anger and desperation pushing at the corners of his mind. He tried not to imagine what was happening to his little brother and his two best friends while he tried to pry the information out of the captured Malfoy patriarch.

The older man leaned back in the chair letting his hair fall to the side to reveal his face completely. Lines of suffering and age creased his face but did not detract from the aristocratic features. His pale, blue eyes regarded Bill with an arrogance that only the older purebloods could claim. It bordered on the egotistical and it angered something deep within Bill.

"You might not be so hesitant to part with the information if you were aware of certain facts pertaining to your family." Bill suggested quietly. He let the idea sink into the man's head before he smiled. "You are not the only Malfoy currently residing in Grimmauld Place."

A panicked light came into the older man's eyes before he managed to get a hold of himself. But Bill had seen it. A sense of triumph welled within him. "Tell me, has the younger Malfoy had the pleasure of being subjected to the Dark Lord's tender mercies? Does he have the same resistance to pain that all Death Eaters seem to acquire?"

"You wouldn't dare touch him Weasley." Malfoy hissed his sudden anger obvious. "He is the heir to a pureblood family. It goes against all that we stand for and your morals would not allow it to happen."

Bill shook his head, expression grim. "Ah, but I am a blood traitor after all. What do I care for pureblood traditional nonsense? This is a time of war. Some things you do because you want to. Some things you do because of the needs of others in your family. I will do whatever it takes to get the information we seek."

The older man bowed his head letting his hair fall forward to obscure his face. "Very good Weasley. I underestimated you. I did not expect such a trick from a muggle-lover." Malfoy threw his head back and smirked. "But I will not be so easily fooled. You do not have my son."

"Don't be too sure." Bill murmured quietly. He reached into his robe and pulled out the wand Snape had handed him earlier. He could tell the instant Malfoy recognized it by the tightening of his mouth and the frost that appeared in his eyes.

"If you harm a hair on his head…" Malfoy growled, sounding less like a cold-pureblooded aristocrat and more like those he despised.

"Where are they?" Bill asked again. He waited with carefully maintained patience. It would do no good to get too eager. The man could possibly withhold the knowledge under the impression that the Order of the Phoenix would only torture the boy and not kill him outright.

"If I tell you, the Dark Lord will brand me a traitor. He will kill me as well as Draco." Malfoy responded slowly as though the words pained him. Bill noted the man made no mention of his wife. He shrugged inwardly. If the man did not care what happened to his wife, Bill could not bring himself to care either. There were too many other people involved that he cared deeply about.

"We are willing to offer your family sanctuary." Bill replied.

A sardonic smile spread over the older man's face. "Do you think that will be all it takes to secure my cooperation? A little torture, a few threats, and a paltry offer of safety?"

"What do you want then, Malfoy?" Now Bill was starting to feel a little nervous. He had expected to torture the information out of the older man any way possible. When it seemed that he could be swayed to help the Order by threatening Draco, Bill had not hesitated. But he had allowed his imminent triumph to cloud his senses. Bartering had never been his strong point. It was the one thing the goblins always held over his head. Trepidation filled him as Malfoy gave him a chilled smile.

"I want a solid guarantee that my son and I will not get thrown into Azkaban the moment _that boy _destroys the Dark Lord-and I have no doubt that he will." Malfoy continued to smile as Bill felt his face become frozen in incredulity. To hear that this man, one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, believed that Harry would kill Voldemort was astounding. He would have said something but Malfoy was already continuing to speak in his deceptively soft voice. "And the only way I can guarantee for certain that that doesn't happen is to have a connection so strong to the Light that none might break it."

"Excuse me?" Bill blinked in shock as he stared at Malfoy. He had no idea what the man was talking about. It almost sounded like…but no he couldn't mean that. Bill felt panic try to rise within him.

"You heard me Weasley." Malfoy's smile transformed into a smirk. "And I think you understand perfectly well what I meant. Understand also that I will not say anything unless you agree. Since my son and I will be dead unless this happens, do not think to threaten me with that."

Bill took a deep breath as he realized he had stopped breathing once the man's words had begun to sink in. _He really does mean it_, Bill thought dazedly. There was no mistaking it now. Not when the man had stated it so boldly. He shivered suddenly.

"I see." Bill said at last. He tried to form a coherent reply but found himself at a loss. Then he straightened and gritted his teeth. He was a Gryffindor! He would not be cowed by the likes of Malfoy.

"Very well. W-who did you have in mind?" Bill ignored the fact that he had stuttered a bit over the question as he waited for Malfoy to respond. A speculative look came over the man's face and Bill felt dread grip his heart.

"You have shown a surprising capacity to do what is necessary even though it goes against what you believe in. And you are a member of the infamous Weasley clan who are so far on the side of the Light as to be nearly inseparable. Yes, you will do nicely." Malfoy answered appearing completely pleased with himself.

"You can't be serious." Bill muttered before he could stop himself. It was just so absurd. "You can't want your son bonded to a Weasley."

A thin eyebrow lifted in surprise. "My son? Oh no. You have it all wrong. It is not my son who will bond with you."

Now Bill felt his heart stop completely in his chest before resuming its beat at an incredibly fast pace. "But you're married!" He protested, his mind screaming at him to flee the premises immediately. The only thing that stopped him from acting on that impulse was the certainty that Malfoy would refuse to divulge the location of the missing trio if he did.

"Not since my wife was killed two days ago." Malfoy replied with remarkable calm considering his words. It was hard to imagine feeling so little concern for someone you were married to that their death affected you no more than the weather might. Bill tried to think of any other logical reason to refuse the man. He could not bond to a Malfoy.

"Time is fleeting, William." Malfoy practically purred his name and Bill felt his eyes go wide. He simply could not fathom why the man would want something like that from him. It was confusing, not to mention a little disconcerting.

"I…why?" Bill asked at last.

Malfoy tilted his head to the side and eyed Bill up and down. "I like you, eldest son of the Weasley Clan. You have a darkness in you that the rest of your family does not. I find that intriguing. If I must have a link to the Light side, I could do a lot worse." A sudden predatory smile lit the man's face. "And for a Weasley, you are a fine example of good pureblood breeding."

Bill wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or not. It almost felt like the man was paying him a compliment but the words themselves were far from it. He shook his head to clear it feeling overwhelmed. How could he make a decision that would affect the rest of his life? How could he do anything but say yes? He had to save his brother and the others.

"Very well Malfoy. I…I accept your proposal on the condition that you will reveal the exact location of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley and help in the fight against Voldemort in any way that you can." Bill stated firmly. He eyed Malfoy almost defiantly, daring him to argue with his wording. The older man simply smiled.

"Condition noted and accepted."

Nodding, Bill stood motionless for a moment trying to regroup himself. He had just agreed to essentially marry a Death Eater in order to help his brother and his friends. That thought helped a little but he could still feel the panic threatening to rise. Finally, he looked at his erstwhile prisoner.

The man was gazing at him calmly, waiting. With a grimace, Bill walked behind the chair Malfoy was roped to and began untying the bonds. It took a moment-Snape clearly had some experience tying knots and he _so_ did not want to think about that too hard. When the last strand fell away he stepped back hastily as Malfoy rose from the chair. The man stood only a few inches taller than Bill which reassured him slightly.

"Let's go Malfoy. You need to tell the others where the trio is located." Bill announced quietly. He went to step in front of the older man when a hand reached out to grab his shoulder. Before he had time to react, he was pulled around to face Malfoy who stood far too close for comfort.

"You should call me Lucius, William." Malfoy purred before he leaned down and kissed Bill. Eyes wide with surprise, Bill remained still as the older man pressed their lips firmly together. A strange fluttering feeling filled his chest and Bill found his eyes closing without realizing it. He felt the other man's arms coming around his back, pulling him closer. The sensation of being pressed firmly against another man's body was different than anything he had ever felt before. He found it strangely exciting. That thought alone was enough to give him the strength to push the other man away.

"Wonderful." Malfoy breathed. His pale blue eyes stared into Bill's with such intensity that Bill could feel the heat of it.

"W-we need to go downstairs." Bill stuttered. He ignored the amusement apparent on Malfoy's face and turned around. Drawing himself together was harder then he thought it would be but he managed somehow and began walking. He could feel the older man at his back but refused to look.

The two passed in silence down the attic stairs and through the second floor corridor. Bill hoped that the others were still where he had left them earlier and at the same time he hoped they weren't there. He didn't know if he could face his mother with the knowledge that he was to be bonded to Lucius Malfoy. Not to mention that he had kissed the man. A blush threatened to steal over his face but Bill fought it down.

When he walked into the kitchen, he found the others almost exactly where he had left them. He braced himself as his mother turned to look at him drawing the attention of the rest. They all had various expressions of hope and trepidation, even Snape although the dour man hid it well.

"Did you have success?" Snape asked quietly.

"In a manner of speaking." Bill muttered even as Malfoy entered the room behind him. Wands were instantly drawn and pointed at the blonde aristocrat.

"What is the meaning of this?" Professor McGonagall demanded, her expression fierce.

"William and I have come to an arrangement." Malfoy replied smoothly seeming to ignore the wands pointed at him and the hostility that pervaded the room.

"What is he talking about Bill?" Molly asked, her confusion evident. She eyed her eldest son with concern.

"Malfoy has agreed to provide us with the information we seek as well as aid us in our endeavors on a condition that we both agreed to." Bill replied nervously. He didn't want to have to say the words.

Bill tensed as a long, muscled arm wrapped itself around his waist from behind and a firm body pressed intimately against his. "I told you to call me Lucius. I will not have my bonded referring to me so informally."

The blush that had threatened before sprang into full bloom on Bill's face while the Order all gaped at him. A quiet chuckle from behind him told Bill exactly how much Malfoy was enjoying his discomfort. And a hardness pressed against his lower back told him how much the older man was enjoying their closeness. Bill groaned quietly, closing his eyes. He was in so much trouble.

The End?

4


End file.
